Darius would be a tough fit for Buffalo

By Anthony Bialy  |   Thursday, June 28, 2007  |  Comments( 36 )

Buffalo Bills
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This is the time of year when every time a player is released, fans and media members ponder whether the free man would be a good fit with their particular squad. It is especially true for name players, but most guesswork ends there after realizing two things: The aging player has a better reputation than skill-set at this point of his career, and that it's impractical to assume any of the 31 clubs that didn't cut the player in question is special enough to have the inside track on acquiring him.

But curiosity over whether one recently released player, Donovin Darius, could end up playing for the Buffalo Bills is now more than mere speculation, as the team hosted him at its headquarters in Orchard Park, N.Y., while it considers possibly adding him to the roster. So, talk of Darius to Buffalo is no longer an unfounded daydream, but there's the remaining problem of whether he's still capable of bringing something to the team other than a prominent name on the back of a jersey.

First, Darius -- a former Jacksonville Jaguar -- is a physical player, and while that trait has made him successful in the NFL, the damage accumulated through a decade of tough play has worn him down. He only played 12 games over the two previous campaigns, with an ACL and broken leg, respectively, ending the two seasons. The injuries are indications that he is a player with lots of mileage; coupled with his fearless play that doesn't cross into but does border on reckless, he's a defender currently prone to being relegated to the sidelines.

Then, from the Bills' perspective, would they need him? Their two rookie safeties -- Donte Whitner and Ko Simpson -- played superbly in 2006, and it would be best to stick with the pair of young, talented players already under contract. Besides, at this stage of his career, could Darius supplant, say, Whitner for a starting role? Even if he was competing for the job of the less spectacular safety, Simpson, it would mean moving either Darius or Whitner to the foreign position of free safety while removing a slightly imperfect but promising second-year player from the starting lineup.

And, more importantly, would the Bills even want to have him surpass a youngster? Even if Darius signed, made the squad, and was in the secondary at the start of the regular season, it would be a case where a player nearing the end of his career would be taking on-field time away from a player at the beginning of his, sapping an opportunity for valuable experience that would hurt the Bills in future seasons. Simpson isn't that lacking, and his few lapses would be minimized the more he plays. All this rearranging would be for a player who is 31 now and will have had his 32nd birthday by Opening Day.

Darius would be in a similar position to the one he just left in Jacksonville, where the team released him on account of the fact it's stocked with young safeties whom it's eager to get on the field. It's hard to believe that Darius would want to, or should have to, compete for a backup role with the likes of Jim Leonhard.

It's difficult to admit that Darius wouldn't make an impact, because he plays football the way you'd like to see it played -- with a controlled yet daring viciousness and taste for the ball. Watching him hone in and time it so he hit a hapless receiver hard enough to send him into the club seats a split second after the victim touched the ball has been a joy over his career, especially for those who view Darius as a throwback to the way competitors in this game should play.

But inking Darius would reek of former Bills general manager Tom Donahoe; it's the sort of big-splash free-agent move with no real impact for which the erstwhile GM was renowned. It's reminiscent of the signing of Lawyer Milloy, where a safety who's both a solid player and human being wasn't able to live up to his fantastic football past for whatever reasons in Buffalo.

Unfortunately, the only thing that would be more surprising than the Bills actually signing Darius would be if he were able to get on field and make the sort of impact he was able to at the pinnacle of his career.
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About Anthony Bialy

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CommentsComments: 36  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
FinFn1372		02:09 AM
06/28/2007
Has anybody else noticed that Buffalo is strait garbage,with the #1 pick in this years draft Buffalo selects-
No.2
Danis Druere		02:49 AM
06/28/2007
You're a damn idiot, Finfn. Buffalo 37, Miami 6 last year. The Dolphins will have a top five pick in the draft. They're easily...
No.3
sirdaddy		06:38 AM
06/28/2007
After Witner and Simpson the bills are a big question mark at saftey, Why not take a chance on a vet with a little gas left in...
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